


A Gathering of Princesses

by darthjamtart



Series: How To Succeed In Princess-Abducting Without Really Trying [2]
Category: Enchanted Forest Chronicles - Patricia Wrede
Genre: Collection: Purimgifts Day 2, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-16
Updated: 2016-03-16
Packaged: 2018-05-27 03:59:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6268705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darthjamtart/pseuds/darthjamtart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which some mistakes might have been made.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Gathering of Princesses

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RobberBaroness](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RobberBaroness/gifts).



At some point, Tamsin considered, Margoz was going to find out she wasn’t actually a princess.

She couldn’t fault Margoz for the error, of course, given that she had been wearing a crown and riding the princess’s horse during the whole kidnapping process. And afterward, well, it had just seemed safer to keep her mouth shut. 

Princess Serevayan had come up with the plan, and as her lady’s maid, Tamsin really hadn’t had much choice in the matter. It had seemed like such a good plan, too: riding out in disguise as one another, so Princess Serevayan could get a closer look at the knights and princes attending the tournament in her honor.

Serevayan had indeed gotten a close look at the knights and princes (all quite unimpressive, she and Tamsin had agreed), and Tamsin had gotten a close look at a dragon. It didn’t seem fair to Tamsin, but then, very little did. She had frequently expressed such thoughts to Serevayan, who would always look as if she were in perfect accord, but then say nothing of fairness or the lack thereof. Serevayan, Tamsin thought, tended to prefer action to words.

Having shown Tamsin around the cave they would be sharing, Margoz had taken off on whatever business occupied young dragons. Tamsin took advantage of the respite to make herself some tea and ponder her circumstances. This plan hit a decided snag when she rummaged through the kitchen cupboards and found only a pot so dented it wouldn’t sit upright, and an empty tin of something that might have once been tea but could just as easily have been a powdered spice of some sort.

“Well, at least Margoz can’t expect me to make cherries jubilee until the kitchen is better supplied,” Tamsin murmured to herself, then startled at the sound of a bell chiming through the rocky corridors of Margoz’s cave.

It took her several minutes to make her way to the entrance, since she made several wrong turns. The two princesses (and these were surely real princesses, not imposters like Tamsin) looked rather impatient by the time she was able to invite them in.

“I am Princess Nastasia of the mighty kingdom of Hallenbard, prisoner of the fell dragon Gornul,” announced the princess with long, wavy black hair. She wore a silver crown adorned with clusters of sapphires and pearls. “And this is Princess Zella of the fair kingdom of Meddlewin, prisoner of the dragon Marchak.”

Zella, who had straight, shiny hair the color of buttercups, topped with a bronze and ruby crown, scowled and said, “Really, Nastasia, I don’t see why your kingdom always gets to be described as mighty and mine is always just fair. And don’t think I didn’t notice that my dragon didn’t get an adjective at all, this time.”

Tamsin stifled the urge to offer them some tea, since that would only end in disappointment. “I’m Tamsin,” she introduced herself, “from the kingdom of Vanistath. I’m sorry, there doesn’t seem to be any tea.”

“How can you possibly think of _tea_ at a time like _this_ ,” wailed Princess Nastasia, collapsing into a rickety chair. It wobbled ominously, but when it didn’t likewise collapse, Tamsin breathed a sigh of relief.

“Not everyone has hysterics at the drop of a hat,” Zella snapped at Nastasia, then turned a pleading look on Tamsin. “It will be so nice to have company around,” she whispered, “if only to help manage _her_.”

“When I think of my people, attempting to persevere in my absence!” Nastasia continued, as if she hadn’t been interrupted.

Tamsin blinked. “I’m sure they’re all right?” she tried.

Zella drew in a sharp breath.

“All right? All _right_?” Nastasia shrieked. “My people are better than all right! My people remain undiminished, their strength and courage never waning or faltering! How dare you imply they could ever be anything less!”

“Now, Nastasia, I’m sure she didn’t mean it that way,” Zella said, patting Nastasia on the shoulder.

The rickety chair, apparently unable to bear the burden of Nastasia’s melodrama _and_ Zella’s attempt at comfort, at last gave way, dumping Nastasia on the floor in a pile of splinters. There was a tragically brief moment of silence.

“Never have I been so offended,” Nastasia said, picking herself up stiffly.

“Or so bruised?” Zella muttered, not quite under her breath.

“We will call on you again once you have had more time to come to terms with your situation,” Nastasia added, sweeping out of Margoz’s cave. Zella shrugged and followed, leaving Tamsin to contemplate her circumstances alone, and now chairless.


End file.
